Remembering Randy Renfrow, Former 3-Time AMA Road Racing Champion

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983 AMA 250 GP Champion Randy Renfrow comes into turn 6 at Mid Ohio during a practice session in July of 1998 for the AMA 250 GP event. Riding for Erion Racing on the Honda RS250, Renfrow was sponsored by Erion/American Honda/Dunlop while contesting the class that year. He scored his first points in AMA 250 GP competition in 1981.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Renfrow talks with team manager Rueben McMurter (and the '88 Canadian Superbike Champion) of the Honda Canada effort that put together a ride for Renfrow at Mid Ohio in the summer of '92. Sponsored by Honda Canada/Dunlop/Shoei/Castrol/RK Chain, the RC30 sits just to the outside of the garage (r-side of shot) that Randy contested the AMA Superbike class in, and the Two Brothers Racing Honda CB600F that sits in the garage that he used to contest the AMA 600 Supersport race in for that weekend, where he finished on the podium behind eventual winner Larry Swarzbach.
McMurter, besides being a former Candian Superbike Champion, also contested the AMA Superbike Series as well as the World Superbike Championship in it's early years of the late '80s/early '90s.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMA 600 Supersport final race action at Mid Ohio on August 2, 1992 shows eventual (and first time) winner Larry Swarzbach on the #7 Vance and Hines/Dunlop/Ohlins/Bates/Bell-sponsored Yamaha 600 leading Randy Renfrow on the Two Brothers Racing/Dunlop/Shoei #76 Honda 600 midway through the 600 final.
This was one of Renfrow's first races back (if not THE first) after suffering the right hand crash damage at Willow in late 1990. He finished on the podium that day.
Schwarzbach went on to win his first, and unfortunately his only AMA 600 Supersport race that day. A little over an hour after this shot was taken, Larry was involved in a multi-bike crash just past this point on the front stretch in the AMA Superbike final. He was air lifted out and died of his injuries just two days later. Schwarzbach was a fine rider and great young man who, had he survived, would most likely have had a hand in re-writing the record books as we know them in AMA Road Racing action in the '90s.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Randy Renfrow on the #5 Commonwealth Racing/Shoei/Dunlop/Keihin-sponsored Honda RC30 leads eventual event AND championship winner Doug Chandler on his famous #10 Team Muzzy Kawasaki/Wiseco/NGK/California Superbike School-sponsored ZX7 in early AMA Superbike final action at Road America in June of 1990. Chandler went on to win the day's final over Renfrow, and also beat him for his first of three AMA Superbike Championships later in the year. Renfrow would win his first and only AMA Superbike final at Willow Springs later in the year while riding the wicked RC30.

Renfrow was also later that year injured while testing the Louisville-based Commonwealth Honda (which later morphed into Camel /Smokin Joe's Honda and then American Honda) at Willow. The crash saw Renfrow lose his right thumb and a portion of his right index finger when his hand was lodged under the bars in the crash. Miguel Duhamel was picked up right before the '91 Daytona 200 as a fill-in rider for Randy and went on to win the race, his first of five wins at the famous tri-oval in Florida. After several surgeries, one of which involved grafting his big toe onto his right hand to use as a thumb, Renfrow returned to racing.

On top of his '83 AMA 250 GP Championship, Renfrow also won the final AMA Formula One Championship in '86 (beating none other then Wayne Rainey in the process), as well as the '89 AMA Pro Twins Championship (riding a Honda RS750 flat tracker-based one-off) for Martin Adams and his Commonwealth Honda team, beating Dale Quarterley who was riding a Ferracci Ducati in the class that year.

This is one of my all-time favorite race pics I have taken over the years, and feel absolutely blessed to have a framed 20x30 copy hanging on my living room wall that was autographed by Randy, as well as Doug. The inscription from Randy: "To Mike: Great times, Thanks, Randy Renfrow #1 83/86/89." Priceless.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Randy Renfrow was a racer's racer and a fan's dream. The man won three AMA Road Racing Championships throughout his career, bounced back from some pretty devastating crashes and injuries to return to prominence in the sport, and was one of the easiest guys to talk to in and about the paddock over the years. With his wealth of racing knowledge and skill, coupled with his outgoing personality, he was a joy to talk to and with, let alone to watch on the track in action.

Unfortunately for us mere mortals, we DO lose some of our heroes in life along the line, especially when some of those heroes ride 180 MPH+ two-wheeled rockets. And we find out that those heroes are also, mere mortals.

Thus was the case just over eight years ago, when Randy died of injuries sustained in a fall at his parents' home while trying to heal from a crash at Daytona earlier in the year. I remember the day so clearly (like when you remember where you were when Kennedy was shot, the planes hit the towers, etc.) that I still feel the sadness and emptiness that overcame me of hearing of the news of this great man's passing. I'm sure all of you can remember a time when one of your racing heroes, or life's heroes, passed away or left this world for a better place (for lack of a better description) so you know the feeling like I do and have. But life does go on. And thanks to our recollections, memories, pictures and stories we share with our friends and family, we can remember those people that left a mark on us throughout our life.

Randy Renfrow left me with a lot of memories, most of which I can smile and laugh with and at, as I think of the diminutive guy from Virginia who could wield a racing motorcycle like a stealth rocket. And who had that smile that would always make you feel like you belong--whether you did or didn't.

Here's to Randy Renfrow, for the smiles, the miles of speed, action, savvy and bravado that he brought to the track and to the seat when he flung his leg over a bike. And to making the racers, sponsors and fans feel like more then just another number. You will forever be remembered.......

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Randy Renfrow remembered thanks to SuperBikePlanet.com and the pen of Evan Williams:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2002-Aug/vir02renfrowremember.htm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These are some fan perspectives on the late Randy Renfrow from SuperBikePlanet.com:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2002-Aug/020813a.htm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------